Inside turn key to advancement of shopping malls

Sao Paulo-The cities in the interior of Brazil have yet been observed very carefully by the administrators and developers of shopping centers that operate in the country. That''s because, in addition to demand lower investment in comparison with the capitals, the enterprises in small municipalities have less competition.
For these reasons, to entities and entrepreneurs in the sector consultation by the DCI, the regions away from large cities are seen as key to the healthy and organic development of the market. "The future of malls passes through this internalization. Is a cornerstone to the evolution of our market. So most of the new spaces are focused on this type of town, smaller but also developed ", explains the President of the Brazilian Association of Shopping centres (Abrasce), Glauco Humai.
No wonder, in 2015, 75% of the malls opened in the country were located in the inner cities. This year, about 66% of projects launched were also open in these cities. If the economic recovery to materialize, the prediction of Abrasce is that this movement is maintained for the next years.
"In times of recession, investors [Economic] is more focused on business in more mature markets as''s in major Brazilian cities. However, these locations the investments to be carried out are higher, do involve a complexity and greater competition, "says Humai.
To him, projects like shopping malls cannot be seen just like shopping centres, but must have functions that attract as many visitors as possible, as offices and business spaces. In the interior, the need is to cover the population with access to a larger structure.
Mother lode of market
One of the administrators who have turned to small towns is the Saga Malls. Until 2020, the company must inaugurate six shopping complexes, half of them in cities such as Annapolis, Sobradinho (DF) and Aparecida de Goiânia (GO), spaces that must receive injections of R $ 1 billion.
According to the Director of the management and operations of the Malls, the enterprises in the interior go beyond financial motivation, but also social. "The Central-West region of Brazil has grown a lot in the last few years, but didn''t have equipment such as these that we will be opening in the next few years. People yearn for a shopping centre, modern spaces and well-being. That''s what we''re going to take them ", he says.
The paranaense group, which manages five Mano enterprises in the South of the country, party to the same strategy: strengthen the interior of the regions in which it operates. "We launched a big Mall in Umuarama, 105 kilometers of Maringá. It is a city that is developing fast and needed a complex like what we''re building, "says the Director of Mano''s Group, Anibal Mano.
With more than 24400 square meters of gross leasable area, the enterprise must become the largest in the region, with five anchor stores, 112 shops satellites, 20 restaurants, four cinemas and leisure space. The total investment is R$ 50,000,000. The opening is expected to happen in the first half of 2018.
Besides him, the Mano Group will inaugurate three other complex until that year. An outlet in Porto Bello (SC), a megashopping in Curitiba (PR) and a hybrid venture, with shopping, outlets and power center (building decoration shops) in Campo Largo (PR). "He was inspired by a complex in the metropolitan area of Paris, which includes a mall, outlets and stores. We believe it''s a trend for our industry and we are happy to come out ahead, "said Mano.
Today, according to Abrasce, about 100 cities in the interior have shopping malls. If the economy comes back to give positive signals, the projection is that this number will increase too. "The country has more than 5000 cities, if we don''t have another economic crisis in the next few years, the market for malls should move forward considerably in the interior," says Humai, Abrasce.